I just got out of prison, am I allowed to vote?

That's a really good question!

The answer varies widely by state and sometimes depends on the type of crime you were convicted of, whether or not you’re currently serving parol, and/or if you have legal financial obligations pending. Compounding the situation, many election officials misunderstand their own states’ disenfranchisement laws.

The State of Massachusetts restores your right to vote after you have commuted your sentence unless you were convicted of “corrupt practices in respect to elections,” in which case you would be permanently disenfranchised. If you are not a Massachusetts resident or want to read more about criminal disenfranchisement, you can start here.

Pete Souza [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

voting on Election Day

In all state elections and primaries, polling places must be open from 7AM until 8PM, though towns are allowed to open as early as 5:45am. Voters who are in line when polls are closed at 8PM must be allowed to vote.

Hours may vary for municipal elections, check with your local election official for polling hours.

Where do I go on election day?

Voting precincts are specified by your street address. To find out where your polling place is in Massachusetts, click here.

Enter your address and the search result will tell you what precinct you’re in, the precinct voting location, give you access to election ballot samples by party and lists who is currently in office.

This is a treasure trove of information as you can click on any elected officials listed and open a new site that will provide you with information about them and, oftentimes, legislation they’ve supported.

Do I need to present identification when I vote?

Voter ID laws can be tricky to navigate, especially now when it seems that states keep trying to pass new voting laws. MA residents do NOT have to present any form of identification to vote in an election unless:

You are voting for the first time in Massachusetts in a federal election;

You are listed as an inactive voter;

You are casting a provisional or challenged ballot;

The poll worker has a reasonable suspicion that leads them to request identification

You will not be required to show a photo ID, for a full list of acceptable forms of ID, click here.

Currently, there are nine states that have strict voter ID requirements.

Those states are: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin. If you’re not a resident of Massachusetts, click here to see what your state’s voter ID laws are.

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